The race for Bichette is heating up, with the Philadelphia Phillies planning to arrange a video meeting.

With the chances of re-signing with the Toronto Blue Jays diminishing, Bo Bichette is attracting intense interest from multiple teams, primarily the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Chicago Cubs.

According to reports from The Athletic journalists Matt Gelb and Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies’ management plans to hold a video conference with Bichette soon. Notably, the team recently appointed Don Mattingly as their new bench coach this Tuesday; Mattingly, a former star first baseman, spent the last three years in the same role with the Blue Jays and has prior working experience with Bichette.

Analysis suggests that if the Phillies successfully sign Bichette, they might abandon contract talks with catcher J.T. Realmuto and consider trading third baseman Alec Bohm, with Bichette or Bryson Stott taking over the third base position. Sources have indicated that if Realmuto stays, the Phillies would not pursue remaining top free agents such as Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Cody Bellinger, or Bichette.

Although the Phillies have not completely closed the door on re-signing Realmuto, they have begun planning how to adjust the budget originally allocated for strengthening the catcher position. The team quickly re-signed Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $150 million deal during the winter meetings and then shifted focus to Realmuto, but no agreement has been reached so far.

Meanwhile, MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed that the Yankees are at an impasse in negotiations with outfielder Cody Bellinger (after several rounds of offers exchanged) and are now “giving more serious consideration” to acquiring Bichette.

After Anthony Volpe underwent left shoulder surgery and was confirmed to miss this year’s opening game, a short-term vacancy opened up at shortstop for the Yankees, but Bichette does not yet have a clear long-term role within the team’s infield. Additionally, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., entering a contract year, is seen as a potential trade candidate.

Signing Bichette would not only bolster the Yankees’ much-needed offensive firepower but also directly impact their division rival, the Blue Jays. The Athletic reported this week that the likelihood of the Blue Jays re-signing Bichette is “growing smaller,” as the team has shifted focus to outfielder Kyle Tucker after signing third baseman Kazuma Okamoto.

The Chicago Cubs have also been frequently linked with the 27-year-old Bichette recently, making them one of his potential next destinations.

Yesterday, the Cubs acquired starting pitcher Edward Cabrera from the Marlins via trade, filling a rotation need with limited financial cost. At the same time, they traded top prospect Owen Caissie, who was originally seen as an internal replacement candidate should Tucker leave. These moves increase the possibility of further significant actions by the team. Reports also indicate the Cubs are monitoring developments regarding Alex Bregman and Cody Bellinger.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox are the other two teams closely linked with Bichette during this offseason.